The house you bought in Manassas, VA two years ago: It’s got great bones, and the price was right. But that’s about all that was right. You finished the basement, and updated the kitchen, put it solid oak hardwood floors:

Ahh, that’s more like it.

But what’s left of that lime green bathroom?

The walls, the floor, the sink… even the toilet is green. And that just won’t do.

So you’re going shopping for a toilet!

…Where are you supposed to start? Well, funny you asked.

Toilet Shopping Tip #1: Conserve water.

Choose a high-efficiency toilet.

Did you know that the simple act of flushing your toilet makes up as much as 30 PERCENT of your home’s water consumption? Luckily for us (not to mention for the planet), when you choose to purchase a high-efficiency toilet certified under the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program, you’ll save — wait for it — 44,000 gallons of water over the life of your newly remodeled bathroom.

Toilet Shopping Tip #2: Consider your options.

Forgive me as I take a step back to water conservation for a brief moment:

There’s your traditional high-efficiency toilet, which is rated nearly 20 percent below the federally mandated 1.6 gallons of water per flush (gpf) — at 1.28 gpf, which is great! Fantastic!

Or you might consider a dual-flush toilet instead:

Efficient toilets of this type encourage kings (or queens!) of their thrones to select a very low gpf (typically in the range of 0.8 to 1.2), or a full-boar 1.6, depending on your flushing needs.

Toilet Shopping Tip #3: Sit down!

After water conservation, the next most important when shopping for a toilet for your remodeled bathroom is — can you guess? The seat! And your options are plenty:

Choose a heated seat; or a seat with a lid that’ll never slam; a seat with an antimicrobial coating; one with quick-release hinges that make for easy cleaning; or…

Toilet Shopping Tip #4: Dare we say bidet?

While there’s not exactly a bidet on every block in northern Virginia, with this tip for your next bathroom remodel, I hope to change that. In many other parts of the world, the bidet is considered a practical, necessary component of proper hygiene.

Oh, and just one more tip: Don’t DIY. Call northern Virginia’s toilet experts for all of your plumbing needs.